MAPS Announces Search for New Executive Director as it Doubles Down on Advocacy and Movement Building

• MAPS’ next Executive Director will be a bold movement leader and visionary responsible for implementing MAPS' new strategic impact plan, ensuring programmatic excellence, advancing global expansion, and major donor cultivation
• Outgoing Executive Director Kris Lotlikar will continue to support MAPS by serving on the Board of Directors and remaining in his role as Chair of the Philanthropic Advisory Committee
• Betty Aldworth and Ismail Lourido Ali, long-standing leaders in drug policy reform collectively bringing decades of advocacy experience, will serve as Interim Co-Executive Directors until the new Executive Director is identified

/EIN News/ -- SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has led the psychedelic movement since 1986, today announced a search for its next Executive Director.

MAPS’ mission is to create safe, legal, and equitable psychedelic access. MAPS’ impact strategy focuses on driving policy reform, expanding global access to psychedelic therapies, and combating stigma, all while strengthening the psychedelic ecosystem through collective action.

The application deadline for the Executive Director position is March 21, and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis. More information on the job description and application process can be found at maps.org/careers.

We are deeply grateful to Kris for his unwavering dedication to advancing MAPS’ mission, both through his strategic vision and his remarkable contributions to fundraising. As we embark on the search for a new Executive Director, we are committed to finding a visionary leader who will make a lasting impact on the psychedelic field. In the meantime, the Board has full confidence in Betty and Ismail to steadfastly steer MAPS’ mission and operations as we move toward Psychedelic Science 2025.
Vicky Dulai, Chairperson, MAPS Board of Directors

Throughout his tenure, Kris helped finance and spin-off Lykos Therapeutics, oversaw the largest Psychedelic Science conference in the series’ history, and leaves MAPS with a strategic impact plan that will guide the organization’s direction through 2028 and beyond. Kris’ last day as Executive Director is March 31, 2025. Afterward, he will continue to support MAPS as an elected member of the Board of Directors and chair of the Philanthropic Advisory Committee.

It has been an honor to serve as Executive Director during this pivotal time in MAPS' history. Helping secure critical funding for MAPS’ mission — including overseeing an oversubscribed Series A for Lykos while retaining notable governance oversight for MAPS — has been a deeply rewarding experience. As MAPS doubles down on its advocacy and movement-building efforts, the psychedelic community will be best served by leadership with the vision and expertise to take this work to new heights. While I’m stepping down as Executive Director, I’ll always be a champion for MAPS and grateful for the generous donors who have supported us along the way.
Kris Lotlikar, MAPS Executive Director

During the search, Betty Aldworth and Ismail Lourido Ali, long-standing movement leaders and MAPS program directors, will lead the organization as Interim Co-Executive Directors. Together, Betty and Ismail bring decades of deep expertise in drug policy, advocacy, community engagement, and movement building, ensuring continuity in MAPS’ mission-driven work.

The psychedelic ecosystem has become increasingly complex and it can be challenging to know what is going to — or what should — happen next. Despite this uncertainty, everywhere we look we see people working to understand each other, collectively challenge historical and systemic injustice, and build authentic momentum for just, equitable, and compassionate social change. The next era of MAPS’ impact will be defined by its ability to adapt alongside the movement it sparked. We are honored to participate in its reimagination. We are grateful to the many voices joining the chorus, inspiring and challenging each other to collectively steer the field toward a global psychedelic culture with the respect, reverence, and responsibility that this work demands.
Ismail Lourido Ali & Betty Aldworth, incoming MAPS Interim Co-Executive Directors

ABOUT MAPS
Founded in 1986, MAPS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and educational organization that develops medical, legal, and cultural contexts for people to benefit from the careful uses of psychedelics and marijuana. MAPS previously sponsored the most advanced psychedelic-assisted therapy research in the world and continues to support psychedelic and marijuana research with a focus on the people and places most impacted by trauma. MAPS incubated Lykos Therapeutics, a drug-development public benefit company, and The Zendo Project, a leader in psychedelic harm reduction. Since MAPS was founded, philanthropic donors and grantors have given more than $140 million to advance psychedelic research, change drug policy, and shape culture.

Media Contact:
                    media@maps.org
                    maps.org/newsroom